It has become known to use unmanned aircraft (e.g. referred to as unmanned air/aerial vehicle (UAV) or “drone”) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) (e.g. including an operator/pilot at a remote location, etc.) for a variety of purposes in flight in various environments under various operating conditions. Such unmanned aircraft (UAV/craft or UAV/drone craft) at present are provided in a variety of forms (shapes/sizes), types (e.g. winged craft, rotor-driven craft, etc.) with a variety of propulsion systems (e.g. engines, thrust-production, etc.), capabilities, carrying capacities, control systems, telemetry systems, robustness, range, etc.; such known UAV/drone craft at present perform in military, commercial, and recreational applications.
At present, typical UAV/drone craft may be provided in a form smaller than typical manned aircraft and may typically lack certain functionality of typical commercial aircraft; some UAV/drone craft have relatively sophisticated control systems; some UAV/drone craft are operated by pilots at remote stations with data communications and instrumentation/feedback from the craft; other UAV/drone craft may have relatively simple control systems (e.g. basic remote control by line of sight by the operator).
One common form of UAV/craft or drone is configured with a base and a set of rotors (e.g. to provide lift/thrust for propulsion) as in a conventional helicopter. Another form of UAV/craft or drone is provided in a fixed wing configuration (with base or body) as to resemble a typical/conventional airplane; other UAV/craft may be configured in a modified form of existing aircraft. Various forms of UAV/craft have various similar arrangements and configurations to conventional aircraft.
It is known to provide a UAV/craft for use in any of a wide variety of functions and operations including parcel/item delivery, monitoring/surveillance, data transmission/communications, hobby/entertainment, advertising/marketing, military purposes, etc. For example, UAV/craft are able to be used on missions that may comprise the delivery of payload from an originator to a destination (e.g. with payload carried by the UAV/craft in flight). Certain commercial enterprises have begun to explore the capability of using UAV/drone craft as part of a delivery vehicle fleet to deliver goods and parcels for customers.
Differences in size/form, use and operation of UAV/drone craft allow for variations/differences in design configuration, use and operation that can be implemented to facilitate various specific functionality modifications and enhancements for UAV/drone craft. Differences in the use, operation, operational requirements and design of UAV/drone craft can facilitate differences in the manner of operation and accompanying systems and methods of operating UAV/craft and of supporting UAV/craft operation. For example, UAV/drone craft with light-weight space frames may provide improvement of energy efficiency in operation.
In relevant respects the design, configuration, size and form and operation of UAV/drone craft are different (e.g. typically smaller) from typical commercial aircraft and may vary between types of UAV/drone craft; UAV/drone craft may be provided in various forms, that range from relatively simple to relatively complex systems. As a set UAV/drone craft may vary in type, design/form, propulsion system configuration, size, primary purpose, airworthiness/robustness, controllability/telemetry, data communications and failure modes, etc. UAV/drone craft may be configured to perform functions for which a manned aircraft is generally not suitable or ideal (for various reasons) such as local/light parcel delivery, surveillance/monitoring, communications, military/government action, etc. UAV/drone craft may be designed and constructed to have widely varied capabilities useful for widely varied functions. Some UAV/drone craft may be designed as “expendable” or for finite/limited-time use; some UAV/drone craft may be designed for cost-efficiency and simplicity; other UAV/drone systems may be designed for lengthy useful lives in operation. (For an example, a typical use of a UAV/drone system may be used to carry an object such as a camera for video/photo surveillance.)
It is known that (among other features) the aerodynamic form/shape of the UAV/craft will affect performance in flight. When the UAV/craft is carrying payload the composite aerodynamic form of the UAV/craft with payload will affect performance of the UAV/drone craft system (e.g. balance, mass properties, profile, inertia, drag coefficient, etc.). For example, a bulky load carried beneath/on a UAV/craft may create discernable mass effects and discernable aerodynamic drag which may affect performance (e.g. energy efficiency, range, speed, flight dynamics, balance, controllability, etc.).
Improvement of the current state of the art of known UAV/craft carrying payload to function with improved performance would be advantageous. Improvement of systems and methods for payload management for UAV/craft would be advantageous. Improvement of UAV/aircraft carrying payload that could be configured with a containment system to contain payload and operated/managed to enhance range and performance (e.g. by improved aerodynamic form for contained/carried payload) would be advantageous.